Friday, 28 December 2012

Movies from stills

Last year I was asked by a friend to take some pictures showing her house that she wanted to sell. After taking the pictures I used the rather wonderful Windows "Photo Story" programme to produce a slide-show like movie.

The great thing about this programme is that is it free and if it isn't on your PC, you can download it from the Microsoft website.

Using it, is simplicity itself. Simply drag the images that you want to use into the programme, select the effects that you want to use, apply any transitions (fades, dissolves etc.), add some music and decide how you want to save it and the programme does everything for you.

Here's the one I made to sell the house. I uploaded it to Youtube and my friend simply supplied the URL to any potential client. (One minute 56 seconds)

I've also found it useful to show a selection of images that I've made on location in Switzerland. This video is also on my website for any potential client to watch (three and a half minutes long).

Another idea that I'm working on at the moment is to make photo stories of different subject matter that I photograph and using them also to show clients on a tablet computer.

About Me

I was born in Sunderland, England. I spent my formative years growing up in places as far apart as Singapore, Istanbul, Malaysia, Germany, England, Rhodesia and now Switzerland.

I've been a passionate photographer since 1979. Since then, I have worked all over the World doing what I love. I don't think that there's one field of photography that I haven't been involved in. Everything from forensics and paparazzi, to weddings and catalogue work.

From 2002 until 2012, I was the in-house photographer for Regent Lighting. The premier lighting company in Switzerland. Now I take photos for one of the leading Swiss auction houses.

I'm still as passionate about the art or craft (call it what you will) of photography today as I was all those years ago.